Romania’s four-party governing coalition has collapsed after six ministers and the deputy prime minister from the Social Democratic Party (PSD) resigned over austerity measures planned by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and his PNL party. Bolojan has rejected the PSD’s demands for his resignation and said that he will lead a minority government. Bucharest is under pressure to reduce its budget deficit and debt, and it faces the prospect of cuts to EU funding if it fails.
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Majority needed for effective government
In an article on the Hotnews website, political scientist Alina Mungiu-Pippidi criticises Bolojan’s desire to cling to his post:
“The idea that a minority government with a less ambitious agenda can achieve more than a majority government is absurd. What counts is the parliamentary majority. Bolojan deserves our gratitude for what he has achieved under difficult conditions and for sticking to his guns. Romania suffers from a lack of qualified politicians and experts in public administration. For this reason his time will come again. But for now, it is essential to preserve a majority and avoid melodramas such as a motion of no confidence or other radical measures.”
Bolojan could be sacrificed by his own party
Political scientist George Jiglau notes in Contributors that support for Bolojan within his own party is not a given:
“The PNL is an important but highly unpredictable variable. So far, the party has publicly declared its support for Bolojan. However, in times of crisis, the PNL has a history of quickly sacrificing its own leaders. … So we can’t rule out a scenario in which Bolojan remains party and government leader for a while, only to be ousted by a faction that is more favourably inclined towards resuming cooperation with the PSD in a different form – something that has been widely discussed in recent months [such as the appointment of a non-affiliated prime minister].”